Come Into My World
by DiaryOfLacey
Summary: Prequel to Pictures & Memories. Oneshots of Jessie's life before she returned to Charming and became Jax's Old Lady.
1. Chapter 1

**bA/N: So all the positive reviews for Pictures and Memories have really encouraged me, and I thought I would start dipping into Jessie's background. She's really a complex woman (which I hope I convey in P&amp;M) and I figured you might all like to get a little peek into her whole story, especially when it comes to Marlowe and her death.**

**This basically will be oneshots from different aspects of her life up until she discovers she's pregnant with Marlowe, and then it will continue through her life in Vegas and the days leading up to her coming back to Charming. I want to show the background of her history with Jax, Tara, the club, and Charming, just so everyone can get to know her a little better. Think of it as a prequel to P&amp;M.**

**I'm also trying a new writing style ( I think that's what you call it), so let me know what y'all think! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. Nothing makes me happier than to see reviews on my work. The more detailed, the better. I love sharing my thoughts with y'all, and I love when you share your thoughts back. I want to know how my writing came across to you, how it made you feel, as well as any ideas you have or anything you'd like to see me include in Jessie &amp; Jax's story. It doesn't take much time to fill in that little box and your critiques only help to make my stories better.**

**Love you all,**

**\- Lacey/b**

Oakland, CA - August 1997

"We're moving, kids." Michael James looks at his two kids, Jessie and Weston looking at him like he's insane. The already-packed moving truck sits in their driveway, where it had been when they got home from school.

"Why?" Weston speaks up first, his voice reaching a whine. He's younger than Jessie by two years but acts like he's five.

Jessie rolls her eyes, scoffing at her brother. "Jesus, Weston, stop fucking whining, it's annoying as hell."

Weston raises an eyebrow, his voice stern. "Jessica Marie, you better watch your mouth."

The older of the siblings stands up from the table, shoving the chair back so that it clatters into the wall. "It's stupid that we have to move just because you've drank us into poverty since Mom died!"

Before he thinks about it, Michael slaps his daughter across the face. Jessie falls back against the counter, tears beginning to well in her eyes. Her father had just hit her, slapped her across the face. When she turns back around, the red mark on her face stares back at Michael accusingly. The venom in Jessie's voice is obvious as she speaks.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's get a move on. It's not every day we have to move because we don't have money!"

Her footsteps are heavy on the stairs as she storms upstairs to her bedroom, returning moments later with a stuffed duffel bag. "I see you already packed all my stuff up, so I'll be waiting in the truck."

Weston looks at his father as his sister storms outside, his lip poked out. "Dad, do we really have to move?"

Michael sighs, ruffling Weston's shaggy hair. "Go get in the truck, son. We've got a trip ahead of us."

Two and a half hours later, the family drives past a sign that read 'Welcome to Charming'. Jessie looks around from her window seat, leaning back and finally smiling. "We're moving back to Charming?!" Her attitude has completely changed, and Michael smiles over at his daughter.

"Yes, Jessie, we're moving back to Charming. I thought it was time we went back home."

Jessie stares out the window, her smile getting wider as they begin passing familiar buildings. "Dad, are we going to Teller-Morrow?"

Michael nods, causing Jessie to emit a high-pitched squeal. He can only laugh as his daughter's excitement level rises. Finally they arrive at the garage, Jessie bounding out of the truck while Weston clings to their father's hand. Gemma Teller-Morrow appears in the doorway, and smiles widely when she sees her former husband's old friend and his children.

"Michael James, is that you?!" Crossing the parking lot, she hugs Michael, then looks down at the two James children. "Jessie and Weston, you two have grown so much!" She gives each of them a hug, looking at Jessie. "I have somebody that's gonna want to see you, Jessie." Turning towards the shop, she yells for her son. "Jackson!"

After a moment, Jax rounds the corner, his face lighting up when he sees his old friend. "Jessie?"

The blonde nearly jumps for joy. She runs across the lot, Jax catching her and swinging her around. She's missed him, her constant playmate and confidante in her childhood. Once they've separated from their hug, Jessie smiles, opening her mouth to say something, but her father pulls her away as he takes her and her brother inside to meet his club members.

After a monotonous twenty minutes of meeting Clay Morrow, her father's new boss and President of the MC Michael belonged to (and was also a First 9 member of), and the other club members, Jessie finally manages to escape them, heading outside to try and find Jax. He's leaning against the side of the clubhouse, and upon seeing her come outside he takes her hand and leads her behind the garage. Once they're out of sight of the adults, Jax lights up a cigarette, offering one to Jessie which she accepts. For a moment, they're quiet, just standing there and exhaling smoke, until Jax speaks.

"So you're back for good this time?" His eyes flick over to Jessie, and she nods.

"Dad says we're home and that's where we're staying." She knows her father has tired of living in Oakland since her mother died, four years of trying to make a legitimate living as a deliveryman while supporting two children alone. He's been desperate to return to the MC life, to the club he'd helped found and been a part of until he met Pamela and she forced him to choose.

Jax cracks a smirk. "Good. I miss my Tinkerbell." He then bursts out laughing, Jessie blushing at his memory. In second grade, she'd had the misfortune to be cast as Tinkerbell in the school's production of _Peter Pan _simply because she'd been the smallest and lightest kid. Two and a half hours suspended from a rope harness with fake wings on her back had been the ultimate embarassment when she peed her costume in the middle of the play. Jessie has tried to forget that while Jax has always reminded her of it and called her Tinkerbell to boot.

"Hush!" Laughing as well, she playfully shoves his shoulder, brushing her hair back as it falls in her face.

Jax can't help but notice how much Jessie has changed since he last saw her seven years ago. The short, skinny nine year old who had cried the day she was forced to move away from her best friends (at that time Jax and Opie) had been replaced with a curvy blonde bombshell, looking older than her sixteen years. She's easily prettier than most of the croweaters he's seen around the clubhouse, with full hips and an even fuller chest. Her blue eyes are even more enchanting now, sparkling with a flirty mischief that has probably brought many boys to their knees. Tight jeans and a red tank top are showing off more of her curves than Jax can ignore, although it feels slightly strange to be sizing up his best friend as if she were just a croweater.

"I'm guessing you and Tara are a thing now?" Even from years ago, she remembers Jax relentlessly teasing Tara, expressing his attraction to her the only way a twelve year old boy knew how.

There's a moment of silence, Jax dragging on his cigarette before he replies. "She skipped town a few months ago. We're done."

She doesn't know how to reply, but gives the best answer she can think of. "I'm sorry."

"Doesn't matter." He doesn't seem to want to talk about it, so Jessie quiets. For a while, they just stand there and smoke, the silence like a blanket over them. Then it's broken by the sound of Michael calling Jessie's name, the blonde stomping out her cigarette as she turns toward the garage and begins to walk away. Jax catches her arm, stopping her progress as if he's forgotten to tell her something.

"Hey, Jess, one last thing-" When she turns to look at him, she's surprised by the kiss he presses to her lips. After a moment, he steps back, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

In response, she grabs his shirt and pulls him close to her, smirking. "I don't mind at all." Seeing her reaction is one of encouragement, Jax leans in, pressing his lips to hers again. Her body is pressed to the cold wall of the garage, a sharp contrast to the heat of Jax's body against her. One of his hands has slid up from her hip to her chest, resting on her ribcage.

Jessie's only sixteen years old, but she's pretty sure that she just realized what love is.

When they finally part, Jessie's cheeks are flushed, and she smiles that pretty smile before turning and walking away. "Bye, Jax, I'll see you tomorrow." And then she's gone, the sound of Michael's truck driving away a moment later.

It's good to have Jessie home.


	2. Chapter 2

The first weekend she's back in Charming, Jax convinces Jessie to go riding with him. He's just gotten his motorcycle back from the shop, and like any boy he's insanely proud of it. So Saturday morning, Jessie wakes up early and spends an hour getting dressed, making sure her makeup is perfect and fixing her hair even though she knows it'll be ruined by the wind.

When Jax pulls into her driveway, Jessie bounds down the stairs, Michael laughing at his daughter as she runs out of the house. "Be careful, Jess, I'll see you tonight! Love you!"

"Love you too, Dad!" She barely pays attention to her dad as she makes it outside, Jax smiling that grin from his bike. In a flash, Jessie's behind him, helmet strapped on her head without a thought of how it's squashing her carefully curled hair.

They don't talk much on the way there, instead just taking in the feeling of being close to one another. Jessie settles her chin on Jax's shoulder, her arms around his abs. She sees a small smile curl the edge of his lips, and she can't help but smile too. Being back with Jax feels great.

Finally they arrive at the lake, the tall weeping willow they played under as kids still standing tall. They get off Jax's bike, Jessie laying a blanket down and sitting on the cool grass under the tree and waiting for Jax to join her.

"Let's go skinny dipping, Jess." She nearly doubles over laughing at his suggestion. _Skinny dipping?_ Jessie's not sure she wants Jax to see her naked. But as she watches him swagger to the weathered dock and shuck off his shirt and shoes, she can't resist following. The blonde pulls her tank top and plaid shirt off as she follows him to the dock, Jax already down to his boxers and jumping in the water by the time she reaches the edge of the lake. His blue eyes are sparkling with mischief as he looks up at her from the water, that half smirk playing on his lips as he waits for her to strip down as well. Feeling a hot blush start at her chest and climb to her face, Jessie carefully unbuttons her jeans and wiggles out of them, kicking the denim aside. Her self confidence rises slightly as she sees the way he looks at her, and she pops a hip out as she stands there smirking right back at him.

"Catch me!" Jax nods at her demand, and when she leaps off the end of the dock, he catches her as she enters the water, his arms locking around her waist. They both start laughing hysterically, although they don't know why, and it slowly tapers off until they're just looking at each other as if they're lost in their own world. Which they are. Then it's like a magnet is drawing them together until their lips are pressed together, and Jessie swears she feels electricity shooting through her. It's a long few seconds before they pull back, Jax smiling and Jessie again feeling the blush begin.

"Jess, you really gotta stop blushing so much." Jax laughs, and Jessie pulls away from him, splashing him playfully in response. He returns the action, and soon they're sending waves of water toward each other. Suddenly Jax disappears under the water, and Jessie searches around for him, unsure of where he's went. Then she's lifted into the air, Jax tossing her over his shoulder. Jessie screams in mock terror, the blood rushing to her head as she hangs over Jax's broad shoulder. It's only a minute before Jax pushes against her side, Jessie rolling off his shoulder and splashing into the water. Water fills her nose and runs down her throat, and she comes up coughing. Playfully punching Jax in the arm, she turns back toward the hill and climbs back on the dock, shaking out her long hair as she gathers her clothes. From the water, Jax laughs. "C'mon, where ya going?" Jessie gives no reply, only flipping him off with her free hand and sticking her tongue out.

Once she reaches the top of the hill, Jessie pulls her shirt from the bundle of her clothes, starting to get dressed. She's interrupted by Jax pulling himself onto the dock, starting up the hill after her. He's got a smirk on his face, and Jessie knows he's planning something. Suddenly he starts running toward her, and Jessie drops her clothes as she sprints away. She realizes that they must look ridiculous running around in their underwear, and she begins to laugh as Jax chases her. After a few circles around the willow tree, Jax -being taller and faster- catches her easily, wrapping his arms around her thin waist and lifting her off her feet. He's tickling her, and Jessie laughs until her abs are burning in pain while squirming to get away from him. She finally gets free, tripping over the blanket she laid down earlier and falling. Jax flops down beside her, panting from his chase. Jessie cuddles up to his side, Jax wrapping an arm around her and pressing a kiss to the top of her blonde hair. It feels wonderful to have her back, and Jax can't help but lean over her and kiss her lips. Jessie's in shock for a minute, but she quickly responds, her hands settling on Jax's broad shoulders as she pulls him closer.

_Does she want to cross that line with Jax?_ The thought keeps running through her mind, answered by the bolt of heat that shoots through her body when his hand skims over the waistband of her underwear. But her nerves keep reminding her that at nineteen, Jax has probably already slept with a girl, maybe more than one. She, on the other hand, is still a virgin at sixteen. Before she can stop herself, she's grabbing his wrists to stop him and looking in his eyes with a shy look. "Jax...I..I've never...done this before." Instantly her face reddens in embarassment at the shake in her voice. He only smiles at her. "That's fine, if you don't want to do this, we don't have to." He lies back beside her, her head on his shoulder as they look up at the white clouds in the sky.

Her heart's still beating ninety miles an hour as she pretends to be interested in the clouds, trying to stifle the blush creeping over her. Beside her, Jax doesn't seem to be bothered by her refusal, as if it's the most normal thing in the world for them to be lying in the grass in only their underwear and soaking wet. They just lie there in silence for a little while, until Jax breaks the quiet.

"Do you think you're staying in Charming this time?" He turns his head to look at her, clearly hoping she'll say yes so he won't have to worry about losing his best friend again.

She nods. "Definitely. Dad said we were coming back for good. Since Mom died, he's been in a bad place. I think coming back here was good for him, we'll stay because he's finally happy again."

Jax smiles that oversize grin that she loves. "Good, now I won't have to find another girl that can be my partner-in-crime." He hugs her close to him, and she laughs.

"Don't start going all soft on me now, Teller."

A soft kiss to her lips silences her. "You're my one and only, Jess, always have been and always will be."

With a smile, Jessie returns the kiss. "Jax and Jessie against the world, always."

And that's the way she always intends it to be.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So the end of this chapter ties into the plot twist in Chapter 32 of 'Pictures &amp; Memories'! Other than that, this chapter tells about Jessie getting her crow tattoo and also reveals hidden facts about her mother, who also adds elements of surprise to Jessie's character.**

**As always, please read and review! Thanks and enjoy!**

**Love,**

**Lacey**

"C'mon, you can do this, babe." Jax tries once again to convince Jessie to enter the tattoo shop. She stands nervously on the sidewalk, her eyes darting from the ground to Jax's face and back again.

"I can't, Jax, I'm gonna be sick." She's pale, her arms wrapped around herself like a boa constrictor. "I can't do this."

Jax relents, stepping over to put an arm around her shoulders. They walk a little ways down the sidewalk, Jax looking down at her. "You wanted to get the tattoo until we got here. Why'd you change your mind?" She was so ready to get inked with his crow, to prove she was his chosen Old Lady, but then they got to the tattoo parlor and she got cold feet. "It won't hurt for long, you're a big girl."

With a sigh, Jessie rolls her shoulders, as if offing her hesitation. "I'm ready, Jax. Let's just get it over with." She turns to walk back, but Jax stops her.

"Jess, if you don't want the tattoo, you don't have to get it." Finally she smiles, reaching up to kiss him gently.

"I want the crow, Jax. I want everyone to know you're mine and I'm yours. Now come on before I change my mind again." He can't argue with her now, so he takes her by the hand and leads her inside the lobby of Freddy's Tattoo. Every chair is empty, the result of a roll of twenties Jax slipped Freddy earlier that week, along with the hundred he gave him to overlook Jessie's age. The heavily tattooed man appears from the back office, smiling at Jax and Jessie.

"You must be Jessie, Jax's told me so much about you! I understand you're here for a tattoo today." Jessie's instantly at ease with him, his cheerful personality easing some of her fear.

"I'm here for a crow tattoo." She shifts from foot to foot, still nervous about what she's going to do. Freddy nods, silently leading her back to a chair.

"Do you have an idea about what you want or where you want it?" His tone is gentle, as he's an experienced enough tattoo artist to realize this girl's terrified.

Her voice is surprisingly confident when she speaks. "I want a crow sitting on top of a crown, with Jax's name underneath, and I want it across my shoulders."

Freddy nods. "That's a pretty big tattoo for your first."

"I can handle it." There's a waver to her voice that betrays her confidence in that fact.

A few minutes later, once she's got her tank top folded down so that her shoulders are exposed and Freddy's got the ink all set out, Jessie lays on her stomach on the chair, Jax holding her hand tightly as Freddy slips on gloves and prepares to begin.

The first few times the needle enters her skin, Jessie grits her teeth and takes the pain. After the first half hour, when Freddy announces that he's only got the crown and Jax's name finished, she begins to cry. Two hours later, she's become numb, only hearing the vibration of the motor and the relaxing sound of the tiny waterfall in the corner. Finally, after four and a half hours, Freddy lays aside the tattoo gun and announces that he's finished.

Jessie's almost giddy as she carefully gets up from the chair, Jax smiling widely at her. "It looks great, Jess." She's marked as his now, the chosen Old Lady for Charming's Prince. Holding her arm to steady her weak legs, Jax leads her over to the mirror and turns her around. Freddy hands her a hand mirror, and she angles it so she can see her back. The black tattoo across her shoulders causes her to gasp. _It's beautiful_ is the only thing she can think. A proud black crow sits atop a crown, Jax's name in script beneath it. Tears begin to prick her eyes as she turns to Jax, her boyfriend leaning down to kiss her lips. "It's beautiful, just like you, Tinkerbell."

The pain begins to set in as Freddy bandages her shoulders, helping her carefully adjust her tank top over it. When she puts on her hoodie, it hides the ink she knows her father won't approve of. After thanking Freddy profusely, she follows Jax out of the shop, kissing him again in excitement. She can't believe it, she's finally gotten what she always wanted. Jax has picked _her_ to be his Old Lady, and images of lifelong love and being by his side always fill her mind. She can't wait to start their future together. But first, she has to explain to her father why she has a huge tattoo.

Expectedly, Michael blows a gasket when Jessie gets home. At first, he didn't notice a thing, but when he hugged her and she flinched (compounded by the fact that she's wearing a hoodie in August), it raised his suspicisions. She can't bring herself to lie about this, so she pulls off her jacket and exposes the bandages to her father. When he peels them away and sees the fresh ink of a crow and Jax's name, it's like a shock to the heart. _She's already been sucked into the life. Jax has already picked her to be his Old Lady, paving the way for a lifetime of heartache._ Michael was a First 9 member, he's been there since the beginning. He knows the illusions Jessie has about life as an Old Lady, he's seen them before with countless other young women chasing a man with a kutte and a motorcycle. _Pamela never wanted the MC life for Jessie and Weston. She would have been so disappointed in me because I brought them back to Charming._ At first he tries to talk to Jessie, but the roiling emotions in his gut can't be held back for long.

"Your mother would have hated the fact that you got that tattoo!" Michael is now yelling at his daughter, Jessie standing across from him with tears in her eyes.

"How can you say that?! You went back to Charming so you could be in SAMCRO again! You don't care what she would have wanted!" The wound left by Pamela's death is obvious by the crack in Jessie's voice. She still hasn't completely recovered from losing her mother.

Michael gives up on that tactic, deciding it's better he tells Jessie exactly _why _her mother hated the Sons of Anarchy so much. Pulling out a chair at their kitchen table, he gestures for Jessie to sit down, and he takes a chair across from her. Reluctantly she does so, staring at her father expectantly. "Jessie, I think it's time I told you the truth about your mother." His daughter looks confused, understandably so, and he gets up to retrieve the flowered hatbox from the hall closet. When he returns, he sits the box on the table, removing the lid so his daughter can see the contents. She leans forward, seeing only stack of old photos, letters faded with age, and small knickknacks. Tears spring to life in her eyes as she recognizes her mother's old memory box, the one that had always been off-limits to her and Weston. Her father reaches inside, pulling out a photograph and handing it to Jessie.

Taking in the sight of her mother as a young woman, Jessie's awestruck at how much she resembles her.

"Your mother wasn't from New York, Jessie. Your mother was Irish." Michael's words stun Jessie into silence, and he continues. "Pamela Warren wasn't your mother's name. Her real name was Pamela McKilligan, from Dungloe, Ireland. Your mother was True IRA, Jessie. She was supposed to marry one of the True IRA leaders, Jimmy O'Phelan, but it didn't happen after he came to Charming on a mission for the Irish Kings. He fell in love with a woman here and married her, but she stayed here when he went back to Belfast. When your mother found out, she was devastated. So she came to Charming looking for the woman, and discovered the woman, Claire Edgewood, had been a croweater Jimmy met while meeting with SAMCRO. She came to the clubhouse looking for her, but instead she met me. We fell in love, and got married before she went back to Ireland. But she always hated the Sons, because she blamed them for taking Jimmy from her. I was the only exception."

As he speaks, Michael pulls photos from the box, showing Pamela and a man that Jessie guesses to be this Jimmy person. He also lays a bundle of letters tied with red ribbon on the table, addressed to Jimmy from Pamela. Pushing them towards his daughter, Michael smiles faintly. "You should read them. They were very special to your mother."

Jessie has forgotten all about the pain of her tattoo. She touches the stack of worn letters, her mother's delicate loopy handwriting on every envelope. Her mind is swirling, almost unable to comprehend what her father has told her. _Her mother, part of the True IRA? _Although she didn't know much about the inner workings of MC life, she knew the True IRA were dangerous people. They sold guns to the Sons, and were trying to take over Ireland. She found it difficult to comprehend that her beautiful mother had been part of that. And almost married to one of the leaders? She was starting to get a headache from this. Standing up from the table, she kisses her father's cheek. "I'll read them, Dad. I love you."

As she walks up the stairs to her room, Michael looks at her, his only daughter, looking so confused it makes his chest ache. He knows how she feels, the same confusion and questions having also filled his own mind when Pamela first told him the truth about her origins. She had been making breakfast, just like any other morning, and suddenly started telling him about Ireland and the Kings and Jimmy O'Phelan. Her hatred for the Sons had caused him to take the family to Oakland, to escape the MC life Pamela hated so much. But that hadn't stopped her from continuing to hate the club he loved so dearly, and finally it had caused her to end her own life.

He still hadn't figured out how to tell Jessie her mother had killed herself because she had run out of places to hide from the IRA, who were hunting her because she had done it. She had killed Claire Edgewood in retribution for Jimmy marrying the woman, and the Irishman had wanted vengeance on her.

Maybe one day he'd discover how to tell Jessie the darkest parts of her mother's history. Until then, he'd let her read the letters and hope that Pamela's unrequited love for Jimmy would teach Jessie a lesson about falling for dangerous men that would ultimately crush your heart.

Men that boys like Jax Teller grew up to be.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Tara's back, Jess."_

Jax's words cut Jessie like a knife. She can't believe it. All this time that she's had with Jax and now Tara's come back to fuck it all up. Tears fall down her face as she hangs up the phone, not even saying goodbye. _He'll go back to her, he always has._ Jessie's lost the man she loves again.

She spends the night getting as drunk as possible, but nothing she drinks is enough to quell the ache in her chest. Smoke swirls around her as she finishes off yet another cigarette, crushing it in the ashtray and swallowing the last of the whiskey in her glass. A fresh set of tears begins falling, and she drops her head into her hands as she sobs. Anger begins rising, anger at being hurt like this, anger at Jax lying to her and pretending they'd be together, anger at Tara for coming back after ten years. Rage burns her veins as she slings the glass on the table across the room, splinters of the crystal covering the floor. Jessie springs to her feet; _she's going to confront Jax, give him a piece of her mind._ Halfway to the door she loses her resolve and instead sinks to the floor, sitting against the couch and crying some more. Her self-pity isn't helping anything, but it's all she knows to do. A knock on the door jolts her, her eyes drifting to the clock on the wall and noticing it's two a.m. _Who could possibly be here at two in the morning?_ A voice carries through the door, and she feels anger surge again. It's Jax at her front door, knocking and calling her name.

"Jess? C'mon, Jess, open the door, please! I just wanna make sure you're okay!" He sounds almost frantic, and so she relents and goes to open the door. He's shocked to see her messy hair, the rivers of smeared mascara staining her cheeks, the angry red blood vessels and dark circles marring her blue eyes. The heavy scent of whiskey and cigarette smoke assaults him as it drifts off of her, the blonde clearly not having slept all night.

Her voice is husky, ragged from the screaming and crying she's done all night. "What the fuck do you want? Shouldn't you be with the doctor bitch?"

"Jess, please don't be like th-" She cuts him off, getting face to face with him as she glares hatefully at him.

"I'll be however the fuck I want to be, Jackson. It's not everyday I get tossed to the side like trash while you run back to the fucking bitch who broke your heart! Or have you forgotten that? I've been the one by your side since I moved back here and now all of a sudden, Tara fucking Knowles is the center of your universe. So fuck you, Jackson Teller, and fuck her too!" She slams the door in his face, Jax in shock at the fact she's called Jackson. Much like he never calls her by her full name, she never calls him by his. It's scary and heartbreaking at the same time.

Reaching in his pocket, he pulls out the spare key she gave him and unlocks the door. Carefully pushing open the door, he looks around and doesn't see her. He gingerly makes his way to the kitchen, glass crunching under his sneakers. Seeing the bottle of whiskey on the table and no glass, he assumes that she broke the glass. _Great, she's upset and raging. What a winning combination. _Making his way into the hallway, he sees light coming from her bedroom and slowly enters. Her clothes are littering the floor, and the light is coming from the bathroom. When he steps in the doorway, she's standing against the sink in just a T-shirt with her head leaning on the medicine cabinet, the tub full of water as if she's just run a bath. Quiet sobs escape her as she braces her hands on the sink, trying to calm herself.

"Jessie." His voice startles her, the blonde jumping in shock. But she turns her face away, crossing her arms.

"Go away."

"Let me explain..." He takes a step toward her, but she shies away.

"There's nothing to explain." She's hurt, he can tell, and he desperately wants to fix this situation because he can't stand seeing her in pain and knowing he caused it. Gingerly he approaches her, finally reaching her and placing a hand on her hip. To his surprise, she whirls on him and slaps him hard across the cheek, fire burning in her eyes. "Don't think you're just going to say a few words, get me in bed, and think screwing me is going to make this okay! It's not fair that Tara can just waltz back into town and you fall all over her like a lovesick child! I've been the one here for you through everything, and now you're just dumping me off on the street so you can be her goddamn lapdog!"

That lights a fire in him as well, and he gets toe to toe with the blonde. "Don't you ever fucking say anything like that to me again!" And he shoves her. _No, Jax, what did you just do? Why did you touch her?_

She stumbles into the sink, pain flitting across her face as her hip collides with the porcelain. "That's right, shove me, you bastard! That's just how much of a man you really are!" The blonde is in his face again, just as angry as he is. "You wanna hit me?! C'mon, slap me!" She turns her cheek to him, giving him the opportunity.

Losing himself in rage, he grabs her by the throat and shoves her back against the sink. She's unafraid, her eyes daring him to do it. But his anger dissipates quickly, unable to even think of hitting her. "I'm sorry, Jess." His hand leaves her throat, and instead he kisses her. For a moment, they're standing there, and then she shoves him away.

"Not this time, Jax. This time you can't just kiss me and make it all better." Her voice sounds sad now, and she turns away from him. "Just leave. Goodbye, Jax." It sounds so final when she says it, but he can see there will be no getting through to her tonight. So he gives in, leaving the bathroom silently. At her bedroom door, he pauses, turning back to call a goodbye to her.

"I love you, Jessie." Then he's gone, and she hears the front door shut a moment later. She's glad he's gone, so he can't see the fresh tears running down her face. This time, they're tears of sadness, and she sheds her T-shirt and slips into the bathwater. _Maybe she can soak away her pain._


	5. Chapter 5

Jax points his bike toward the east side of town, rides towards Jessie's apartment. Tara's kicked him out again, and he needs a place to sleep. Jessie's always there for him, and he knows she'll gladly let him in.

It's almost three a.m. when he gets to her apartment, knocking on the door. He hears footsteps, and then she opens the door. She looks gorgeous, her blonde hair falling in messy waves over her shoulder, a black T-shirt and gray shorts showing off the svelte body that she possesses.

"Jax?" Her voice is sleepy, her eyes half-lidded. He must have woken her up.

"Can I spend the night?"

Jessie laughs at his question. "I don't want the neighbors talking, Jax." Her sarcastic answer is met with that signature crooked smile that makes a fire rise in her belly and her cheeks get warm. She opens the door for him, ushering him inside. Once he's sprawled on her couch like always, she heads to the kitchen for a beer, knowing already that's what he's going to ask for. It's the same routine they go through every time he runs to her.

She walks back from the kitchen, beer in hand, watching as Jax looks her up and down, drinking in her slender frame. He beckons her closer, and the beer is forgotten on the coffee table as she straddles his thighs and his hands go to her ass. His rough, calloused grip is a shock on her soft, supple skin, sending sparks of pleasure up her spine. He presses a kiss to her neck and she gasps, grinding into his lap. Jax's breath is hot on her skin, his skilled fingers running under her shirt.

His hands are on her body, and the scent of leather and cigarettes fills her nose. That undeniable scent that always means Jax. She locks her eyes with his, her fingers curling in the shaggy blonde hair at the nape of his neck as she again pulls him close to meet her lips.

Before she realizes that she shouldn't do this, shouldn't give into him all the time, they're in her bed and she's riding him hard, her hands gripping the headboard to steady herself as she listens to him groan in lust underneath her. Sometimes she feels like a whore when this happens, but if she gets to be with Jax this way, then that's what she's doing. Their orgasms hit them at the same time, and Jessie rolls off of Jax and tries to catch her breath. He reaches over to slip an arm over her, pulling her close to him and resting his forehead against hers. "I love you, Tink."

She matches his smile with one of her own. "I love you too." Her head nestles in his shoulder, the sound of his breathing slowing under her ear telling her he's falling asleep. For a while she just lays there, looking out the window of her bedroom and then looking at Jax's kutte hanging on the door of her closet. It seems to be where it should've always been, and she's content to have him in her bed for the night, even if it's just until morning.

Tara's anxious. After she kicked Jax out last night, he left and hasn't come back like she expected. And she has an idea where he most likely is. She's been carefully noting his actions when they fight, and he always goes to the same place.

Jessie's house.

So here she is, sitting outside of the blonde's apartment building and getting ready to confront her. Jax's motorcycle is parked outside, in clear view of anyone who came by, and Tara feels it's like a mockery of their marriage. _Yeah, I'm married to Tara Knowles but banging this blonde whore on the side. _That was how Tara took it. She can't stand Jessie, never could, not even when they were kids. The blonde bimbo always knew the hold she had on Jax, always loved to flaunt it in Tara's face that no matter how much Jax loved Tara, he would always love Jessie more; Jessie would always come before Tara in Jax's life.

As she leaves her car and starts up the stairs to Jessie's apartment, she pulls a key from her jeans pocket, a copy of the key to Jessie's place that Jax carries on his keyring. When she reaches 10D, she carefully unlocks the door, feeling rather stalker-ish as she quietly searches for signs of Jessie or Jax.

She makes her way to the bedroom, silently pushing open the door and feeling tears prick her eyes as she sees her husband and Jessie sound asleep in a messy bed that gives away what they did last night. It's too much to bear, so she leaves in a hurry, barely remembering to shut Jessie's front door behind her. As she passes Jax's bike downstairs, she can't help the shot of rage that rushes through her veins and she kicks the side of the motorcycle. The crunch of metal hitting pavement is oddly satisfying, and she cracks a small smile as she heads back to her car.

_Tara 1, Blonde Bimbo 0_


	6. Chapter 6

_"You need to leave Charming, Jessie."_

She can't. Leaving this place isn't an option.

_"You don't belong in that world, Jessie."_

Her father's voice is pleading with her from the other end of the phone. She's in denial of his words. She _does _belong here. She belongs with Jax.

She's kidding herself, Jax has Tara now. The doctor's return five months ago was her downfall. She has no place in his life anymore. Jessie doesn't know what to do with herself. So she does the only thing she can.

She runs.

The apartment she lives in is easily packed, her entire life packed up in three clear tubs. They fit in the backseat of the car that she bought after graduation, the one that Jax spent months helping her fix. The one that Chris couldn't stand because it gave her a reason to be around Jax, who Chris swore was just waiting to fuck her.

Chris. Her deadbeat boyfriend. He won't care that she's split on him, she's nothing more than an ATM with a pussy to him. She's been supporting him when she can barely support herself, so that will be the only reason he's sad to see her go.

The 'Welcome to Charming' sign stares at her accusingly as she drives past it.

_Goodbye, Charming._

Jax can't believe what his mother is telling him.

After work, he'd gone over to Jessie's hoping to surprise her. He and Tara are on the outs again, Tara having found out about yet another of his flings with a croweater. Needing a shoulder to lean on, he knows Jessie will be waiting with open arms. She's been his best friend for years, and she's always there for him. Like last month, when Tara kicked him out for sleeping with Ima.

He doesn't know what to do knowing Jessie is no longer in Charming, no longer there when he needs her.

He considers going after her. She's probably going to Vegas, that was always her dream. But Tara will never understand. She's always jealous of him talking to other women, so he knows she'll flip her shit if he tells her he was going to Las Vegas to search for Jessie.

Not that he really gives a damn. At first, having Tara back was wonderful. He had truly missed her. But lately, she was becoming more and more of a pain in his ass. She screams at him for stupid shit, starts fights at the least provocation. In the past month and a half he's spent more nights in Jessie's bed than Tara's.

The blonde is his saving grace. She is everything Tara isn't, and if Tara wasn't in his life again Jax is quite sure Jessie would be his Old Lady. Lately he's taken up more and more time with Jessie, spending the night at her house to escape Tara's wrath. The doctor is always mad with him about something he's done, and she sends him to the couch more nights than not. So he finds comfort with Jessie, who's always willing to sit up until the wee hours of the morning just talking or lay beside him in bed and cuddle. She also has an instinctual knowledge of when he's craving physicality, and can always make him forget his troubles when he's deep inside of her tight wetness and she's screaming his name.

Deciding Jessie is more important than Tara, he sets out for Vegas that afternoon. It's a long drive, and every inch of pavement he covers brings new thoughts of Jessie to his mind. He remembers her moving away when they were kids, how she'd kicked and screamed and fought against her father's arms to stay with him and Opie. He remembers how happy he'd been when she came back, and how they'd spent so many nights under the willow tree just lying in each other's arms. The time she got her crow tattoo, the time he had to spend the night with her when she'd gotten sick after entering a hot dog eating contest at the fair with Opie, all the times they'd skipped class and rode his Harley to the lake. So many memories assault his mind that by the time he reaches the outskirts of Vegas, he's determined to find her even if he has to tear this town apart.

The apartment she's managed to rent for forty bucks a week is a shithole at it's finest. But the landlord gave her a good deal and she's willing to make do as long as she has somewhere to stay. At least she brought her own bed from Charming so she doesn't have to sleep on the dirty one that was already here. After a full afternoon of scrubbing and cleaning and washing, she's finally got her new digs looking halfway decent and she flops down on the bed tiredly.

This is going to be hard, but she's sure she can manage it. After all, starting over has to be better than staying in Charming and watching Jax fawn over Tara. Sure, he's spent the nights at her house, but usually they end up fucking. After everything they've been through together, she's been reduced to nothing more than a piece of pussy. Tears begin burning her eyes, and before she knows it, she's sobbing into a pillow. She cries for what seems like forever, finally having to get up and run to the bathroom to throw up. She wretches violently until the nausea passes, slowly going to the sink to wash her face with cold water.

When she straightens up, she pauses to look at herself in the mirror. Sunken cheeks, dark circles, messy blonde hair; a total mess. _Everything's a fucking mess._ Trying not to think about her situation, she decides that tomorrow she'll find a hair salon and dye her hair. _A new town, a fresh start, it's exactly what she needs._ It's better to lie to herself for now.

She leaves the bathroom and gets into bed, trying hard not to think about how much she wishes Jax was there beside her.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Once again, sorry for such a long wait between updates! I am attempting to finish up some of my companion stories to my main Jax/Jessie story so that I can begin posting and working on the next full-length story for them. As always, please read and review and let me know what you think! This will probably only have a few more chapters, as it will end when Jessie comes back to Charming and where Pictures &amp; Memories picks up.**

_Three days. Three days of searching and no Jessie. Jax has left Vegas and returned home, resigning himself to the thought that he'll never see Jessie again._

The stomach pains are horrible. At first Jessie thought they were simply cramps, signs of her period coming on. But they persist, and her monthly flow never comes, so she finally caves in and goes to the clinic four blocks away. She prays that there's nothing wrong with her, but she can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. The nurse at the desk hands her a clipboard, and Jessie sits on a hard plastic chair and hurriedly scribbles down her information before taking it back to the desk. It isn't long before the doctor's calling her back, and she's on an exam table with the doctor prodding her aching stomach. When she tells Jessie that she's going to perform an ultrasound, Jessie immediately fears she has some horrible problem.

When the doctor looks up with a smile and annouces that Jessie's pregnant, the blonde nearly faints.

_A baby. Her baby. And... Jax's baby. He's the only one she's been with recently. They're going to be parents._

Later that day, she sits on her bed and stares at the ultrasound the doctor gave her, at the tiny bean-shaped thing that was going to be her and Jax's child. _A baby._ _What was she going to do with a baby? What about Jax? There was no way she could go back to Charming, so she was going to have to do this alone._ She begins crying again, thinking about all of this change that's about to happen in her life. Right now she wants nothing more than for Jax to appear and take her into his arms and reassure her that everything is going to be okay. Her hands come up to rest on her belly, and she closes her eyes as she imagines what life is going to be like with a baby.

_Maybe it'll look like Jax._

_Maybe she'll go back to Charming._

_Maybe Jax'll love her again._

So many 'what ifs' run around in her mind that it gives her a headache, and she finally gets up from the bed and goes into the kitchen. A half empty bottle of whiskey sits on the counter, and Jessie has to force herself not to drink it. _Think of the baby, Jess._ She can't hurt this baby inside her.. It's her only link left with Jax, she can't risk that.

Deciding she needs to divert her attention, she finds the box of hair dye she bought earlier and carries it into the bathroom. Ripping it open, she focuses on reading the directions. _Keep yourself busy, it's best not to think._ So she sets about dying her hair, and an hour and a half later she's got a headful of dark brown hair. After she's dried it with the hairdryer and ran a brush through it, Jessie looks at herself in the mirror and takes in this new appearance. The brown's a huge change from blonde, but she likes the way it makes her blue eyes pop and decides that maybe it's a good look. On a whim, she pulls the scissors from the medicine cabinet, twisting her long hair in a ponytail and chopping it off mid-chest. It's a good seven inches, her hair almost reaching the back pockets on her jeans. _And now it's gone._

_There, now she's a completely new person._

It's kind of refreshing, actually, and maybe it's just what she needed. New city, new life, new look; it's all part of this change she's making. _And soon she'll be a mother._ Her hand touches her belly, and a smile pulls at her lips. Sure, she's scared, but inside of her is a little person that's going to be _hers. _More than anything, Jessie wants to pick up the phone, dial Jax's number and tell him. Spew out the words to him that she knows will change his mind about Tara. She's carrying his child, something Tara has yet to do. And she knows that Jax wants a baby; since Abel's birth he's talked of doing it over, making things right with another child. She could give that to him now, could make him the happiest man in the world. But something stops her, something tugs at the edge of her mind and tells her to stay put. She isn't quite sure what _it _is, but for now she resigns herself to staying here in Vegas.

Exhausting herself as she thinks through the curves her life has recently taken, she flops onto the bed and sighs, turning to tuck the ultrasound photo into the edge of the photo frame on her nightstand. Jax's smiling face beams out from behind the glass, his arm around her shoulders in one of the last pictures they'd taken together before her departure. Now the photo of their child is nestled next to its' father, Jessie hoping feverently that this baby will have Jax's beautiful smile. _A little piece of their best qualities._

Settling down to sleep, Jessie smiles at the idea of a little Jax running around in a few months.

_Jackson Jr. had a nice ring to it._

**A/N: As always please read and review!**


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